If you want to change the way that the world appears to be; you must change the way that you see everything in it. And if you want to change the world; you must change the way everyone else sees everything in it. And when everyone else sees everything in the world in a new way, the world will be changed and then mankind will turn their faces to the heavens in search of a brand new vision and then it will be able to see the heavens for what the heavens really are! That being because, in order for a person to change how he sees the world, he must first change the eyes of his soul and it is with those new eyes that man can look at the sun, that man can see the heavens, that man can know God. Then it is with these newfound truths that humanity will continue to live, but living by walking in a new reality.

I am inspired to write this, by the teaching of Plato below. As I read this teaching of Plato, I immediately see that he was speaking of the acquisition of truth (which he also refers to in his teachings as the thing that is closest to wisdom); such are the transitional phases of the acquisition of truth unto wisdom. And it's upon this reading that a dimension was opened to my mind, and I saw what I've written here, above.

“And first he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves, then he will gaze upon the light of the moon and the stars and the spangled heaven.... Last of all he will be able to see the sun.” (Plato; The Republic book 7)

I want to share with you a true story lifted from the pages of my childhood; moments in an NYC cab that I will never forget:

When I was just a little girl, we visited New York City. My parents were both deathly afraid of everything on the outside of our little yellow cab. They repeatedly asked each other if the doors were locked, and if we were all SURE that the doors were locked! My heart started pounding from fear that was being induced by their fear! I wondered what they were so afraid of! Finally the culprit was identified! "Look! People with pink hair! And purple and blue! EEeeeeeeeeeee!" And I dared myself to look out the window. But when I did look out and see for my own eyes, I didn't feel fear, at all! In fact, I thought "Oh how wonderful! Pink and purple and blue hair standing up high into the air!" And I compared my feeling of wonderment to my parents' feeling of fear! They taught me to be afraid of what was on the outside of our little yellow cab, but when I looked for my own self, I felt something different! It was wonderful to see people with pink and purple and blue hair! And so, at that tender age, I decided that the way we look at things, changes our experience of them, and changes our perceptions of other people, and changes (most importantly) how we feel on the inside!
We can choose to make things bad, on the other hand, we can choose to make those same things wonderful! And how we do that, which direction we face, affects not really the other people that we're looking at, or the things that we're looking at, but ultimately, the only person it affects is you, the only people our perceptions affect, are us! We can either be like my parents, or be like me!

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”

“Though you break your heart, men will go on as before.”

“If you are pained by external things, it is not they that disturb you, but your own judgement of them. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgement now.”

“Look beneath the surface; let not the several quality of a thing nor its worth escape thee.”

“If a person has an appreciation and understanding of the Universe, there is hardly anything that won’t appear beautiful. Such a person will find equal pleasure in looking at paintings and wild animals. He will see in every person a sweet freshness and light. Vision will be his gift, and he will see beauty where others see nothing.”

“Things of the world cannot touch the soul. The soul can only touch itself.”

“I am not threatened unless I judge events as being evil. And it is within my power to not view things this way.”

Life is going to be very pitiful, for those who live by the belief that "No one is better, all people are equal." And a person like that is going to have a lesser existence on this planet, because: Life will remind that person over and over again, how wrong that belief is! Because in this world you will meet those who have more than you, there's going to be those who are far more beautiful than you are, far more rich than you are, far more successful, far more loved, far more happy! And if you wake up every day, and deny that truth, life isn't going to hand you any better than you already had! Because that's not how this world functions. There are people that are better, and things aren't equal, that's not how things are, the cosmos doesn't owe you fairness and equality! But stop and think about this for a moment: if everything was equal and fair, and the existence of "better" and "more" was null; what would this world really be like? Everything would align and stop at the same point! And what point would that be? The medieval era when there was no such thing as penicillin? World War 1? World War 2? Or perhaps the beautiful renaissance period? And then every existence on the planet would stop to repeat itself day after day after day, nothing would change, people would always die for the same reasons, wear the same fashion of clothing, have the same mindset (and what mindset would that be, do you think? Of all the mindsets in the world, what would be the designated mindset of everyone on this earth?) And people would always live for the same reasons too, earn the same paychecks, have the same job (and what job would that be, I ask you? What if everyone owned a business? And then who would work for every business? And who would be a doctor? A nurse? A fashion designer?) I tell you this for certain: That if everything and everyone were equal, and "better" wasn't a fact, then hope would be of no use, it wouldn't even exist! Perseverance would be an alien term! Dreams wouldn't happen! The world would never get better, nothing would evolve in any way, and let me ask you this: What would the purpose of life be? It would be: "nothing."

So you see my friends, it is stupidity to shun people that are better than you. It is better to thank them, because they have shown you how to dream, how to hope, how to work hard, how to persevere, they have shown you how it feels to admire (a beautiful state of man is the state in which he admires another), they've also pointed you in the direction of this value called "acceptance"! They have shown you so many things, that someone equal to yourself could never!

It's almost ironic that when an individual is able to realize this (what I've written above), then that person will be able to see the definition of "equality"; then equality will begin to float to the surface! When you realize the concept above, then you'll be able to see the equality in every thing and every one: in that your worker in your store lives a life that is no less important than your life! Because if your worker was also a business owner, then he wouldn't be working for you in your store, and you wouldn't be able to have a successful business! The person who works at McDonald's mopping and disinfecting floors, has a life just as valuable as your own life, because if he were a bank teller like you are, then you wouldn't be able to eat at a clean McDonald's restaurant! It would be filthy! And if all people were bank tellers just like you (if that were the point at which everyone aligned) then there wouldn't even be a McDonald's! We would only have banks! And for what? And how would we even be able to put money in those banks, and why would they even exist? "Purpose" wouldn't even be real! So, every one has a life that is equally valuable. The equality exists in the fact that all lives are equally worth that same amount of respect! The realization of equality is brought forth, by the realization of inequality and the appreciation of it! Because by inequality, there is the abundance of hope, and of dreams, and of PURPOSE.

People say that this concept is "different" and that it is something "interesting" and "new" and I say BY JOVE! how can a common sensical, every day reality become something "different" and "interesting" and "new"? But this has become the case, because people are not allowed to see this everyday, common sensical reality! People have not been living in reality, people have been blinded, people are lied to, people are told that everyone and everything is equal, that nothing and no one is better! Unfortunately, that lie becomes the reality of people and incredibly, the reality becomes the "different" the "something new", the "interesting"! My friends, such is the greatness of the lie! That the truth has become an obscure concept! The common, every day truth that anyone should be able to see with his or her two eyes on his/her face!

The word "philosophy" comes from the Greek φιλοσοφία (philosophia) which means "love of wisdom"; and I want to break that down for you even further: philo= love/lover from the nature of love "philia" well named and known by the ancient Greeks (yes, it's easy to imagine that the Greeks would make the best lovers, as their everyday words can come deeply rooted in any of their forms of love) sophia= Greek word for wisdom (yes, if your name is Sophia, it literally translates to "Wisdom" in Greek!) So for one to say that he/she is a "philosopher" one is actually saying that he/she is a "lover of wisdom." Therefore, if you are a lover of wisdom and pursue wisdom actively on a daily basis, making it not just a thought in the random distance but an actual way of life, then you, my friend, are a philosopher (there is no need to go to school for this, and in fact, I think that there may be a conspiracy responsible for changing the way philosophy is taught in school; I have listened to philosophers debate and sat and thought "What utter, useless, nonsensical waste of time!") Your active participation in this way of life is called "philosophizing"and the fruit of that active participation in your lifestyle of wisdom is called philosophizing. I often hear people say "This is my philosophy" or "These are my philosophies" just because they like a quote, but it is ignorant to say this, because, had they been more well-informed they would realize that when you say "This is my philosophy" you should be pertaining to a school of thought invoked by many, or by some. Generally when we think of these schools of thought, our imaginations turn to the philosophy of stoicism, the philosophy of hedonism, platonism, and etc. These are great bodies of thought, schools of thought, that the ancients subscribed to on a daily basis. Today, we just have religion, but yesterday (thousands of years ago) they had philosophy. Philosophy was their way of life that they abided by, while the gods and God were always there, up and above and beyond and down here and with us. Religion wasn't the dictating power in the life of the ancient; but it was the philosophy of the ancient that influenced his/her choices on a daily basis.

If you ask me what my philosophy is, I would tell you that "my philosophy" and the philosophies that I subscribe to, are different things. Because when I say "my philosophy" I am in fact referring to the philosophy (the entire school of thought) that I believe in not because I subscribe to it from reading or from research or from going to church; but because this is innate of me. This is what I have produced of myself, this is what I believe in without the influence of outside entities. On the other hand, when I say "the philosophies that I subscribe to/ the philosophies that I invoke) I am talking about the philosophies that already exist, that I agree with and believe in. I do invoke stoicism, with Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius being my adored philosophers. However, there are points in stoicism that I don't agree with (I don't agree that one needs to distance himself from material things and passions because material things can create evil in a man), notwithstanding, I don't feel that Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus were actually ever saying that it's wrong to feel joy and passion. I think that it's just the interpretations of idiots which have made it sound that way in commentaries and on Wikipedia. And now we come to hedonism (which sounds like a very bad thing to the modern ear); I do believe in hedonism, however I don't believe that everything is corporeal (physical), and that there is nothing incorporeal (spiritual) and that the only focus of man should be to delve in corporeal pleasures. I would say that my own spirit resounds the most with just the basics of Plato and Aristotle, nevertheless, unlike Aristotle and Plato, I do believe in hedonism being a part of the human as a whole and that we cannot separate the incorporeal and the corporeal. Furthermore, I would have to say that on a daily basis, I invoke stoicism as my philosophy and equanimity as my chosen disposition.

Which brings us now to my own philosophy. What is the philosophy of C. JoyBell C.? I want you to be able to answer that question if you are asked by anyone what the philosophy of your admired philosopher is (given that you do admire me and subscribe to my philosophy and encounter someone who questions you on this.) First of all, I want to say that the "quotes" you read from me; the things that I say and write that people all over the world are beginning to devour– this is my "philosophizing." When it comes to the school of thought that I produce form within me, I will tell you, that it cannot be entirely likened to stoicism (thought you will see the principle of stoicism in my philosophy, as well); it cannot be completely likened to hedonism (though you will notice that I appreciate hedonism as an essential part of being human), and it cannot be entirely likened to platonism or Aristotelianism (because I don't put emphasis on the separation of physical and spiritual in order to attain enlightenment). But you will come to see and understand that my philosophy is a balance of all philosophies. I believe that it is not needful to go straight in any one direction, given entirely to it; it is not needful to throw oneself off of any one cliff! There is a perfect balance. At this point in my writing, I do want to point out, that I believe the great philosophers Plato, Marcus Aurelius, and etc., did have a greater balance in their beliefs than interpreted and depicted by modern-day commentaries. I think that the people writing the commentaries lack insight, and therefor interpret the beliefs of the greats as far less balanced that what they in fact were. Now, with that been said, let's move on...

You may have already read my Theory of "All Apples" wherein I described my philosophy that we are not beings born into a world filled with many powerful things; but we are powerful beings born into a world filled with many things. This is my philosophy. I believe that all things are neutral, all things are neither evil nor good; but that it is the human soul by which either evil or good is borne of! It is YOU who possesses the virtue of either evil or good! It is YOU who has the power to corrupt a thing, it is not the thing which has the power to corrupt you! I simplify this down for the image in the mind that All things are just apples. An apple is neither good nor bad! An apple possesses neither the virtue of good nor of evil, but the apple in your hand will either be put to good use or it will rot and go to waste and even become corrupted! If you have the virtue of goodness, you will put that apple to good use by cutting it up while it is fresh and ripe and juicy and eat it, thus allowing it to make you happy and give you nutrition and feed you; but if you have the virtue of evil, in your hands that apple will rot because you will not be able to see what good things to do with it! And that apple will not only rot, but it will probably become corrupted with worms and flies! And so this is the heart, the core, of my philosophy. And all other of my branches from this thought that I speak of, do in fact stem from this core! And you will see the connection to stoicism here: in that I will not allow a thing to turn and move my soul, but I have the power to turn and move the thing!

I also speak of not separating the corporeal (the physical body) from the incorporeal (the spiritual body). Because, I argue, that our spirits came to earth on this journey for a purpose; we each had and have a purpose why we're here, why we CHOSE to be here, now, how can we fulfill these destinies on earth, without a physical body? A soul without a body is a soul without an earthly destiny and if you are going to attempt to glorify only the spirit/only the soul, then in this act you are utterly forsaking the destiny that you descended here to fulfill! You are in denial, you are ascribing to a beautiful spiritual life which you once knew, while denying your physical life and purpose here; hence you are living with your hands and fingers closely covering your eyes! Moreover, a physical body without a soul is just plain dead. When a person dies, the soul leaves! It is my firm belief, that our bodies are needful of our spirits and our spirits are equally needful of our bodies, here, as humans on earth. Now, the modern-day man and woman has come to know the nature of "Eros" as simply a lust, a shallow, disgusting form that attacks our existence during our lives on earth, and if we're lucky we will be able to find "Agape" and rid ourselves of Eros. I think this is entirely erroneous and that err is what causes countless individuals to fall from their elated ideals, because it is simply unnatural. When we look at the understanding the ancient Greeks had for the natures of love, we will see, that all natures of love were seen as honorable and beneficial to both the corporeal and the incorporeal! None of the loves were shunned! Which makes me think that perhaps, the shunned Eros has, in this modern day and age, taken revenge out on mankind for the treatment of him! See all the broken relationships!

Yes, I do believe I am an ancient thing. Against all odds, I have become me and I believe and see the things that I believe and see. Nobody encourages me to do so, nobody is praising me and cheering me on (aside from my readers), and I did not go to school or university for any of the things I believe and write and see. Marcus Aurelius said this: “Blame and praise have no true effects. Is an emerald less lovely, if it is not praised? Or is gold less lovely, or ivory, or the color purple?... "I am committed to be an emerald, and keep the color that is mine.”

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"I am a flawed person. A brook with many stones, a clear blue sky with many blackbirds. I have many shortcomings. A rainbow that’s not long enough, a starry night with clouds. But I can only be thankful to the God who loves me just this way, and I can only be grateful to the people in my life who accept the clear blue sky with many blackbirds and who are patient with the rainbow that isn’t long enough. And because of this, I am taught love, because of this I love my God, and I love these people."— C. JoyBell C.

DISCLAIMER

This blog is not an online diary. Anything reflected through my writings here, do not necessarily mirror my present emotional, mental, or physical state, unless directly stated. Furthermore, any resemblances to you or to anyone you know, is purely coincidental and is not a result of me creating any "blind items" about you or your loved ones and friends. Moreover, your reading of my writings does not constitute a marriage, personal relationship, or personal friendship, between us.